Video games prices slashed as UK market struggles

Brand new video games are being sold for less than £20, as publishers and retailers fear a disappointing Christmas.

New titles such as WWE '13 and Hitman Absolution, both of which were released just last month, are already being sold for £19.99 as part of 'special promotions'.

The price discounting is mostly driven from the market leaders GAME, Amazon and Tesco. Medal of Honor: Warfighter now has a price tag of £20, Just Dance 4 is on sale for £18, while there are heavily discounts for Halo 4 (£29.99), Resident Evil 6 (£22.99), Dishonored (£21.99), Borderlands 2 (£25) and LEGO The Lord of The Rings (£25).

It follows a slower than expected Christmas sales period for UK stores. Last week 1.87m games were sold, generated £49.2m.

That may sound like a lot, but last year during the same week 2.6m games were sold, generating £68.3m in revenue.

Despite big launches for Assassin's Creed III and FIFA 13, the High Street has suffered softer than expected launches for Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Wii U. There has also been fewer games on the release schedule, a trend that will continue into the New Year.

Retailers and publishers are hoping to shift excess stock before Christmas, rather than wait for the January sales. And retail execs have told MCV that the next two weeks will prove crucial as we head into the last two weekends before Christmas.

MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by NewBay Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets.